Apple Pre-Order: Should I Do Home Delivery or Store Delivery?

[Mliii]

When I got my 3g, I pre-ordered and decided to go to the AT&T store because there is one a few blocks from my home. I know people have plenty of legitimate complaints about AT&T, but my experience was very positive. Waiting in line was kind of fun! Everyone was excited and the buzz was good. The help was friendly & knowledgeable, and the process was quick and simple. And I got to see my actual phone coming out of the box before I accepted it to be sure it was perfect. It went well!
I've been trying to decide whether to go to a store or just have it delivered. I know that there were some 3g phones where there were some screen issues- light shining through the bezel or something like that- can't remember the exact specifics.
But I think I want to see the phone they intend to give me before I just accept it. I'd hate to be one of the few who get one delivered and I have to return it for some crazy reason. THAT would not be fun!

 

[Shanewilliams]

Someone had mentioned reserving an iPhone 4 for apple store pickup, when you do this do you pay for it in full online and just pick it up or do you just put a deposit on it and pay in full at the apple store? I'm on the fence as to go for the home delivery or apple store pickup as well.

 

[bradradley]

I am upgrading from 3g to Iphone 4. I am going to be on Vacation at a rental house in NC on the beach. Do you think they will ship it to me if I have that address as my ship to and I wanna make sure it come before the 26th because thats when I leave to come back home.

 

[Mliii]

my specific question is if I'm going to have to wait until after 6/20 to pre-order.

If I do the *new# in my phone like ATT suggests, it says I can't get a full upgrade until 6/20 or later.

You can't pre-order and pay the discounted price till you qualify for the cheaper upgrade. So, yes, you will have to wait to order till after 6/20 to qualify for the full upgrade, OR you can pre-order earlier and pay the higher cost.
I know that's not what you wanted to hear, but that's how it works.

 

[sarcosis]

I get that I'll be able to get a full upgrade at some point here soon, but my specific question is if I'm going to have to wait until after 6/20 to pre-order.

If I do the *new# in my phone like ATT suggests, it says I can't get a full upgrade until 6/20 or later.

Does my question make sense?

I heard that there was still a bug in the code on AT&T's end. Based on the PR and your upgrade eligibility date, you can get it for the new price (i.e. 199 or 299). If you are concerned, give the AT&T folks a ring and they can hopefully hook you up.

As for me, I'm going to pre-order though Apple.com and activate it at home. If I have issues, I'll drive to the AT&T store on my way to work and have it worked on.

 

[gopherhockey]

This is the first time I got an iPhone on launch day.. Previously I got them through AT&T store weeks after.

In order to get AT&T pricing don't we have to order online via AT&T, not apple.com? Or does AT&T shoot you over to the apple.com site?

 

[Built]

This is the first time I got an iPhone on launch day.. Previously I got them through AT&T store weeks after.

In order to get AT&T pricing don't we have to order online via AT&T, not apple.com? Or does AT&T shoot you over to the apple.com site?

The two systems are linked. You can, for example, check your eligibility for the ATT discounted price by going through the apple.com store site.

 

[Built]

In another thread about pre-order, someone had called his local ATT and they said if you pre-order, you still need to stand on line and doesn't guarantee you one. The caller flipped and hung up on them. It's like we get different answers from different ATT Reps. It's crazy.

From what I understand...and if all goes the same way as in the past...the Apple Store (NOT ATT) will have separate lines for those who pre-ordered and those who did not.

 

[j.seubert]

Will they deliver to a business address?

Will they deliver to a business address? I'll be at work all day and would like it delivered there.

 

[slippery-pete]

Someone had mentioned reserving an iPhone 4 for apple store pickup, when you do this do you pay for it in full online and just pick it up or do you just put a deposit on it and pay in full at the apple store? I'm on the fence as to go for the home delivery or apple store pickup as well.

If you reserve you pay when you pick up the phone. No deposit/payment needed until you pick it up. You basically have to pick the phone up on release day by a certain time, if not it will be sold

 

[Slip Jigs]

Will they deliver to a business address? I'll be at work all day and would like it delivered there.

I'm almost positive they can deliver to a different shipping address from the billing address. I am going to have delivery to my office as well.

I'm glad that the release day is on a Thursday. Going from the iPad release, it does appear that in most cases people do get them on the same day - but then there were issues because it was a Saturday. Here we'll have Friday for delivery in case something doesn't make it on Thursday - not ideal, but better than waiting a whole weekend.

 

[Built]

Sometimes...if your billing address does not match your shipping address, some credit card companies will not authorize the transaction...or alternatively, the company with whom you are doing business will choose not to send to an address not on file with the credit card company.

This has been my experience with several electronics retailers...such as Newegg.

 

[STEVESKI07]

Sometimes...if your billing address does not match your shipping address, some credit card companies will not authorize the transaction...or alternatively, the company with whom you are doing business will choose not to send to an address not on file with the credit card company.

This has been my experience with several electronics retailers...such as Newegg.

That is correct that some company's don't allow a different billing/shipping address. However, this is not the case with Apple/AT&T. They will let you ship it to an alternative address. Guaranteed 100%. I remember seeing it somewhere, just can't remember where.

I will be having mine shipped to my work. I work from home on Friday's so I was a little bummed about it not being released on a Friday, but at least this way I will have all day Friday to fool around with it without anybody accusing me of being unproductive.

 

[Weaselboy]

Sometimes...if your billing address does not match your shipping address, some credit card companies will not authorize the transaction...or alternatively, the company with whom you are doing business will choose not to send to an address not on file with the credit card company.

This has been my experience with several electronics retailers...such as Newegg.

You are correct. I tried to buy a Macbook for my daughter and have it shipped to her home, and my CC company put the security smack down on my CC. I had to call them and provide security info etc and explain, then they approved. I went back to Apple.com and clicked to resubmit the charge and it worked.

 

[bstpierre]

nice... thats sounds good... who did u pre order it from apple.com? i think am going to do that cuz i called the att store near me and he told me no matter if am the first person there on the 15th to preorder he cant gaurentee me a phone am like ok so if am pre order #1 and u get 30 phones that day ur gonna tell me iam not gaurenteed a phone.. he said correct so i just slamed dunked on him....

When I bought my iPhone 3G I went to the AT&T store late on launch day and ordered it. At that point there was a box somewhere with my name on it. I did not get my phone until the box with my name on it came into the store. They didn't necessarily arrive in the same order they were purchased in.

Now, if you are pre-order #1 there is no reason your phone would not be there and someone else's exactly the same phone would be there but they are in no position to guarantee it. And they would not give the other person's phone to you because you ordered it first. It has their name on it.

 

[spartanrob]

That's generally determined by the sender, and not FedEx. IIRC, I think signatures were required by Apple and AT&T last year.

Apple typically lets you "pre-sign" for their shipments. You print out a document with your order and shipping info (from the apple store online) and you tape that to your front door. Fed Ex accepts that as the signature and will leave the package. Just did it with a Mac Book Pro.

I'm on the fence between that or having it delivered to work.

 

[Built]

That is correct that some company's don't allow a different billing/shipping address. However, this is not the case with Apple/AT&T. They will let you ship it to an alternative address. Guaranteed 100%. I remember seeing it somewhere, just can't remember where.

I will be having mine shipped to my work. I work from home on Friday's so I was a little bummed about it not being released on a Friday, but at least this way I will have all day Friday to fool around with it without anybody accusing me of being unproductive.

Good to know, Steve. Thanks for the info!

 

[Slip Jigs]

That is correct that some company's don't allow a different billing/shipping address. However, this is not the case with Apple/AT&T. They will let you ship it to an alternative address. Guaranteed 100%. I remember seeing it somewhere, just can't remember where.

I will be having mine shipped to my work. I work from home on Friday's so I was a little bummed about it not being released on a Friday, but at least this way I will have all day Friday to fool around with it without anybody accusing me of being unproductive.

You can turn on the face chat thingie and then they can watch you work. lol

 

[CooKieMoNs7eR]

What about if your switching from Verizon, can I do all the porting my # and all that stuff online when I preorder???

 

[STEVESKI07]

What about if your switching from Verizon, can I do all the porting my # and all that stuff online when I preorder???

Nope. You would just preorder like normal and then you would either have to pick it up in the store and have them port it over then or just have it delivered to you with a new number and then port it over at a later time. You can't port it over on the preorder and you wouldn't want to anyways because then your contract would be done with Verizon immediately and you would have no phone until the 24th.

Last year I just had it delivered to my door with a new number and then went into an AT&T store a few days later and had them port my number over from Sprint.

 

[Apple Expert]

I will have my delivered to me. I did the whole line waiting for the iPhone 3G and won't do it again. Delivery is the way for me.

 

[hryan4740]

Apple typically lets you "pre-sign" for their shipments. You print out a document with your order and shipping info (from the apple store online) and you tape that to your front door. Fed Ex accepts that as the signature and will leave the package. Just did it with a Mac Book Pro.

I'm on the fence between that or having it delivered to work.

As I hate waiting in lines, I'll definitely be pre-signing as I work for the federal government and they irradiate all mail that comes in the building. I don't think this would work out so well for me, but I could be wrong. Besides, who knows how long it would take them to sort and deliver it.

 

[brinycbri]

Can I get it delivered to a friend (who has a different address and different name than me) or does it have to go to me?

 

[CooKieMoNs7eR]

Nope. You would just preorder like normal and then you would either have to pick it up in the store and have them port it over then or just have it delivered to you with a new number and then port it over at a later time. You can't port it over on the preorder and you wouldn't want to anyways because then your contract would be done with Verizon immediately and you would have no phone until the 24th.

Last year I just had it delivered to my door with a new number and then went into an AT&T store a few days later and had them port my number over from Sprint.

Thanks for your help, I think I'm just gonna pre-order than go to the AT&T store on the 24th and have them do all that stuff for me, So when I pre-order I can't have it delivered to me right? I have to choose the pick up in store option?

 

[STEVESKI07]

Thanks for your help, I think I'm just gonna pre-order than go to the AT&T store on the 24th and have them do all that stuff for me, So when I pre-order I can't have it delivered to me right? I have to choose the pick up in store option?

You can have it shipped to you or you can pick it up in the store. It will give you the option.